Mention Scranton to James “Murr” Murray, and the memories rush back.
“I’ve spent more time in Scranton than some residents there,” the Tenderloins comedy troupe member and truTV’s “Impractical Jokers” star joked in a recent phone interview. “I’m a huge, huge fan of the city, I’ve spent countless days there and I’m a big fan of the trains.”
Murray returns, not to sightsee or to help his sisters move in or out of the University of Scranton, but with his best friends, the Tenderloins — Joseph “Joe” Gatto, Brian “Q” Quinn and Salvatore “Sal” Vulcano — for their “Santiago Sent Us” tour Friday, June 9, at 8 p.m. at the Pavilion at Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road.
Tickets starts at $28 and are available at
livenation.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.
Formed in 1999 in New York, the Tenderloins originally performed improvisational comedy and did sketch shows for years before moving their act online. After receiving millions of views, their popularity surge ultimately resulted in the group’s success today on “Impractical Jokers.”
“Our friendship on display is the magic of the show because it’s really a buddy comedy,” Murray explained. “It’s what everyone does with their best friends, and this upside-down prank show with the jokes on us instead of the public was enough of a twist to make the show pop.”
Along with his friends and co-stars, Murray is an internationally recognized jokester through the hit comedy TV show. Now in its sixth season, “Impractical Jokers” follows the group’s antics through hidden cameras as they play public pranks on each other.
The magic many see on television comes out during their live shows in a blend of what the Tenderloins have done together for nearly two decades.
“The tour is what you love about our TV show, but live,” Murray said. “We’re all on stage at all times, and it’s kind of like a stand-up show. We’re telling stories, ripping into each other, and we show videos made specifically for the show you can’t see anywhere else.
“There’s a giant screen up behind us, we put up clips and it’s really a rock-concert-meets-a-stand-up-show. And it’s family friendly too,” Murray added.
All the Tenderloins’ years together molded their work into what it is today, a journey best described by Murray as a “ten-year overnight success story.” That story continues across the United States and Europe with a stop once again in Northeast Pennsylvania for an evening of high jinks and laughs.
“If we were stand-up comedians that were not touring together as best friends, I think it’d be a lonely life,” Murray said. “But these guys are my best friends, I’ve known them since 1990. If we weren’t touring together, I know we’d still just be hanging out.”
— paul capoccia

If you go
What: Impractical Jokers “Santiago Sent Us” Tour starring the Tenderloins
When: Friday, June 9, at 8 p.m.; gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road, Scranton
Details: Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased at livenation.com or by phone at
800-745-3000. For more information, visit thetenderloins.com.